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Find True Happiness

A growing number of researchers believe we have the power to be happy—really, truly happy—by adopting these 6 habits.

by
Erin O'Donnell

6 of 7 | Invite Someone to Dinner

Another habit that will lead you to true happiness: being generous. "The Buddha said that if we understood the power of generosity to create happiness, we would never sit down to a meal by ourselves," Cope says. He recommends that you develop what he calls a "generosity practice." From time to time we all have natural impulses to be generous, he says. For example, it might cross your mind that a lonely friend would love an invitation to dinner, an elderly aunt might appreciate a phone call, or a co-worker could use a cup of tea. You might normally quash the thought with excuses: You don't have time, you don't want to spend the money, it might be awkward. But the next time you have one of these thoughts, "practice going with it," Cope says. The act of giving creates happiness in both the giver and the receiver, and those good feelings can linger a long time, he says.